STEPHEN HUNT has made the staggering claim that Wolves should try to become the best team in the country at getting opposition players sent off to boost their Premier League survival bid.

Stephen Hunt pictured arguing with Laurent Koscielny during a stormy encounter at the Emirates []

"Everyone does it now, we should. Maybe we should be better at it than any other team,” said Hunt, after Nenad Milijas was sent off in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal. His comments will be frowned upon by the FA, who will also be upset Hunt has accused them of putting money before the interests of England by forcing teams to play so many games over Christmas.

Hunt agreed with his boss Mick McCarthy that referee Stuart Attwell cracked under pressure from Arsenal players to send off Milijas at the Emirates.

Wolves have lodged an appeal to the FA and, having seen Stoke’s Jonathan Woodgate stay on the pitch after conceding a penalty against them earlier this month, Hunt believes it is time to get in the faces of referees.

“Sometimes the reactions of the players are clever, they help the referee to get the player sent off,” said Hunt.

Everyone does it now, we should. Maybe we should be better at it than any other team

Stephen Hunt

“We’ve been done in the past – Woodgate for instance. We should’ve been surrounding the ref to get him sent off.

“Every team does it now. We don’t do it and we get punished, but maybe we should start.”

Wolves sit one place outside the relegation zone and face Bolton and Chelsea in the space of three days. Hunt insists he is happy to play so regularly, but believes the FA are jeopardising the Euro 2012 hopes of England and the Republic or Ireland by not having a winter break.

“The England and Irish players will be hammered if they don’t perform at Euro 2012 and have a bad tournament,” said Republic of Ireland international Hunt.

“But the rest of the countries will have had their winter breaks and they are fresher. They are clever enough to do it. I love playing football, but the FA have got to use their brains sometimes. They take the money on board over Christmas to a certain degree. All it takes is to have 10 days off.”